15 Kal. Aug.
(18 July.)
St. Mark's, Rome.
(f. 259.) |
Confirmation and approbation, at the [recent] petition of all the chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin and that of St. Katherine in the parish church of Eccles in the diocese of Conventry and Lichfield (containing that the late William archbishop of York, primate of England and legate of the apostolic see, united and appropriated the parish church of Bethum alias Bethome in the county of Westmoreland and that of Slaitburn’ alias Slaidburn’ alias Sladburn', in the diocese of York, with consent of the dean and chapter of York, and of John Bothe, archdeacon of Richmond, as far as regards the church of Bethum alias Bethome, to the chaplains of the said chantry, decreeing that on the cession or death etc. of John Sendale the present rector of Bethum alias Bethome and of John Mews the present rector of Slaitburn’ alias Slaidburn’ alias Sladburn', the said chaplains might by their own authority take possession of the said two churches, etc.; reserved to himself and his successors [archbishops of York] power and authority to assign a fit yearly portion for a perpetual vicar in the said church of Bethum alias Bethome; ordained a yearly portion of 10l. sterling of English money for a perpetual vicar in that of Slaitburn’ alias Slaidburn’ alias Sladburn'; and reserved and assigned yearly cesses or pensions to be paid by the said chaplains to the archbishop and his successors, to the dean and chapter of York and a number of others, etc., as is contained more fully in authentic letters inserted in a public instrument, the tenour of which the pope has caused to be exemplified verbatim in these presents) of the said unions and appropriations etc. and all other contents of the said letters and their consequences, the pope holding the yearly values of the said chantries and of the said united churches as being expressed in these presents. The pope exemplifies, as premised above, the said instrument, viz.:—
Univ. sancte matris ecclesie filiis.…, by which John Druell', I.U.D., official of the episcopal consistory of London, informs them that to him, sitting as a tribunal in the cathedral church of St. Paul, London, were exhibited produced and shown on behalf of Sir Robert Clyfton', knight, a certain letter concerning the appropriation of the parish church of Bethum alias Bethome in the county of Westmoreland in the diocese of York made to the chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin in the parish church of Eccles in the diocese of Conventry and Lichfield, sealed with three oblong seals, one the seal in red wax of William archbishop of York, primate and legate (as above), the second the seal in white wax of the dean and chapter of York, and the third also in red wax of the archdeacon of Richmond, and two other letters concerning the appropriation of the parish church of Slaitburn’ alias Slaidburn' alias Sladburn in the diocese of York, made to the chaplains of the chantry of St. Katherine in the said church of Eccles, namely, one sealed with the oblong seal impressed in red was of the said archbishop William, and marked and subscribed with the mark and subscription (fn. 11) of William Brande, clerk, of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, notary [public] by apostolic authority, and the other of the said dean and chapter concerning the confirmation of the same, sealed with their oblong seal impressed in white wax; and that petition was made to him on behalf of the said knight that, inasmuch as it is necessary for him to exhibit the said letters, of which he has not duplicates, in divers parts of the world etc., whereby they may perish, the said official would inspect them etc. and order and cause them to be copied, exemplified, subscribed and drawn up in the form of a public instrument by the under-written notary public, in order that to such copy may be given the same credence as to the said original letters, the tenours of which are as follows:—
(i) the letters addressed Univ. sancte matris ecclesie filiis … of William archbishop of York, primate and legate (as above), dated as below, informing them that John Contyngham (sic), abbot of St. Mary's without the walls of York and the convent thereof have granted to Nicholas Byron', Robert Clyfton', Richard Bothe and Seth' Worsley, esquire[s], (fn. 12) the advowson and patronage of the parish church of Bethum alias Bethome in the county of Westmoreland, and to their heirs in perpetuity, as is more fully contained in the following letters of the said abbot and convent, sealed with their seal, viz.:—
(a) the letters Omnibus christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum indentatum pervenerit of John Cotyngham, abbot of St. Mary's without the walls of York and the convent thereof, setting forth that they have by the present indenture granted the advowson etc. of Bethum alias Bethome, to Nicholas Byron' … and Seth’ Worsley (as above), esquires, (fn. 13)
and to their heirs in perpetuity, reserving to the abbot and convent and their successors the yearly pension of 40s. due to them from the said church from time immemorial; in testimony of which they have caused to be set to the present indenture their common seal. Dated in their chapter-house 8 Oct. in the 38th year of king Henry VI [1459];
the which charter is enrolled on the dorse of the [letters] close of the chancery of the below-written king in the month of January in the year belowwritten (fn. 14) and that the said Nicholas Byron’ … and Seth’ Worsley (as above) [esquires] have granted and confirmed to the chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin in the parish church of Eccles in the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield the advowson and patronage of the said parish church of Bethum alias Bethome, and to their successors in perpetuity; and that petition has been recently and is now made to the above archbishop on behalf of the chaplains of the said chantry through their proctor Sir John Averell', chaplain, the tenour of whose proxy is as follows, viz.:—
Pateat universis per presentes, being the letters of procuration whereby the chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin (as above) appoint as their proxies Master John Ranald, canon of Suth‘well’ in the diocese of York, Ralph Radclyff, esquire, and Sir John Averell’ chaplain, conjointly and severally, with full powers for the matter of the appropriation to be made to the said chaplains [and the said chantry], by authority of William archbishop of York, primate and legate (as above), of the church of Bethum alias Bethome, in testimony of which they have procured the setting to their said presents the seal of Sir Robert Scot, dean of Newark', dated at Suth‘well’ on 12 May, 1460;
that, the licence of Henry king of England and France and lord of Ireland having been granted to the chaplains of the said chantry and to the said Nicholas Byron'. and Seth’ Worsley (as above), as follows:—
Henricus dei gratia rex. being the letters patent of the said king, granting licence to William Bothe archbishop of York, Nicholas Byron’ … and Seth’ Worsley (as above), esquires, to found a chantry of two chaplains in the parish church of Eccles in the county of Lancaster to celebrate divine offices daily for the good estate of the said king and archbishop and for their souls after death and the souls of certain other persons to be named by the said archbishop, Nicholas … and Seth’ (as above), and of all the faithful departed; the chaplains of the said chantry to be called the chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin, etc.; with licence also for the said Nicholas … and Seth’ (as above) to grant in mortmain to the said chaplains in perpetuity their advowson and patronage of the church of Bethum alias Bethome in the county of Westmoreland; teste me ipso at Coventry 1 Dec. in his 38th year [1459; see Cal. Pat. Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. VI, 1452–1461, p. 526],
the said archbishop should approve, ratify and confirm the said grants and royal licence and all the contents thereof, and unite and appropriate in accordance therewith the said church of
Bethum alias Bethome to the said chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin. Wherefore, at the said petition the said archbishop William hereby approves, ratifies and confirms the grants by the said abbot and convent and by the said Nicholas Byron’ and Seth' Worsley (as above) and the said royal licence, and all the contents thereof, and, with licence and consent of all concerned, and after treaty and deliberation between him and the said dean and chapter and Master John Bothe, archdeacon of Richmond, proceeds to make the formal decree of appropriation, as follows:—
In dei nomine amen, setting forth that William archbishop of York, primate and legate (as above), sitting as a tribunal in the chapel within his manor of Suth‘well’, appropriates, with consent of the said dean and chapter and archdeacon and others concerned, the parish church of Bethum alias Bethome in the county of Westmoreland to the chaplains of the chantry of Jesus and St. Mary the Virgin in the parish church of Eccles; decrees that upon the cession or death etc. of Master John Sendale, the present rector of Bethum alias Bethome, they may take possession by their own authority, etc., but reserves to himself and his successors power and authority to endow from the fruits etc. thereof a perpetual vicar in the said church, and to assign to him therefrom a fit portion; and reserves from the said fruits etc. a yearly cess or pension to himself and his successors of 3s. 4d. to be paid by the said chaplains, half at Whitsuntide and half at Martinmas, also one of 3s. 4d. to the said dean and chapter to be similarly paid, and one of 13s. 4d. to the said Master John Bothe, archdeacon of Richmond, and his successors, to be similarly paid, and also a sum of 3s. 4d. to the poor parishioners of Bethum alias Bethome in accordance with the royal statute [15 Ric. II, c. 6, confirmed by 4 Hen. IV, c. 12]; with provision for the enforcement of payment by sequestration of the fruits etc. of the said church of Bethum alias
Bethome, etc. In testimony of all which the archbishop has caused the present letters testimonial to be made, with the impression of his seal; dated in his manor of Suth‘well’ on 19 June 1460, in the 13th year of his consecration and the 8th year of his translation.
Appended to the archbishop's foregoing letters are the approbation and ratification and confirmation thereof by Richard dean and the chapter of the
cathedral church of York, in testimony of which their common seal is appended, dated, as regards the sealing, (fn. 15) in their chapter house at York, 26 July 1460, and the approbation and ratification and confirmation by John Rothe (recte
Bothe) licentiate in laws, archdeacon of Richmond, in testimony of which his seal is appended, under date 30 April 1461;
(ii) the letters Univ. sancte matris ecclesie filiis … of William archbishop of York, primate and legate (as above), setting forth that whereas recently Laurence Bothe, clerk, Nicholas Byron', esquire, Robert Clyfton', esquire, and Seth' Worsley, esquire, have given and granted and by their letters confirmed their right of patronage and the advowson of the parish church of Slaitburn’ alias Slaidburn’ alias Sladburn’ in the diocese of York in perpetuity to the chaplains of the chantry of St. Katherine in the parish church of St. Mary the Virgin, Eccles, in the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield by their letters patent, as follows:—
Sciant presentes et futuri cum nos Laurentius Bothe clericus … and Seth’ de (sic) Worsley, esquire (as above), setting forth that whereas they hold the advowson of the said church of Slaitburn’ by grant of Nicholas Halle, prior of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, Pontefract, and the convent thereof, the tenour of which grant is as follows:—
Sciant presentes and futuri quod nos Nicholas Halle …, setting forth that the said prior and convent have granted and by their present indented charter confirmed to Master Laurence Bothe, clerk … and Seth’ de Worsley, esquire (as above), their heirs and assigns, in perpetuity, the advowson of the said church of Slaitburn’ alias Slaidburn’ alias Sladburn', in testimony of which they have set their common seal to the present indented charter; dated in their chapter-house 2 Sept. in the 34th year of king Henry VI [1455],
they, the said Laurence … and Seth’ de Worsley have given, granted and by their present indented charter confirmed to the chaplains of the chantry of St. Katherine in the parish church of St. Mary the Virgin, Eccles, in perpetuity, the said advowson; in testimony of which they have set their seals to the said present indented charter; witnesses: William Bothe, archbishop of York, Master William Makster (recte Malster) canon of York, Master John Sendale, canon of York, Master Thomas Lyd (recte Lye), archdeacon of Salop, and many others [not here named]; dated 1 June 1456, the 34th year of Henry VI.;
and that the archbishop has been petitioned on behalf of the said chaplains of the chantry of St. Katherine (as above), namely, by their proctor John Averill', the tenour of whose proxy follows, thus:—
Pateat universis per presentes, being the letters of procuration whereby the chaplains of the chantry St. Katherine (as above) appoint as their proxies John Gysburn', chaplain, Ralph Radclyff, esquire, and John Averill', literate, conjointly and severally, with full power for the matter of the appropriation to be made to the said chaplains and the said chantry, by authority of William archbishop of York, primated and legate (as above), of the church of Slaitburn’ alias alias (as above), in testimony of which they have procured the setting to their said presents of the seal of Sir Robert Scotte, dean of Newarke, dated on 30 June 1456 (fn. 16) ;
that, the licence of Henry VI king of England and France and lord of Ireland having been granted to the chaplains of the said chantry and to the said Laurence Bothe … and Seth’ de (sic) Worsley (as above), as follows:—
Henricus dei gratia rex. …, being the letters patent of the said king granting licence to Laurence Bothe, clerk. and Seth’ de Worsley, esquire (as above) to grant in mortmain to the above chaplains of the chantry of St. Katherine, in perpetuity, their advowson of the said church of Slaitburn' alias alias (as above) in the county of York; teste me ipso at Westminster 14 [Feb.] anno
34 (fn. 17) [i.e. 1455–6; see Cal. Pat. Rolls, Henry VI, Vol. VI, 1452–1461, p. 275],
the said archbishop should ratify and confirm the said grant and royal licence and the contents thereof, and unite and appropriate in accordance therewith the said church of Slaitburn’ alias alias
(as above) to the chaplains of the said chantry of St. Katherine, to whose honour and that of our Lord and St. Mary the Virgin it was founded. Wherefore, at the said petition the said archbishop William hereby approves, ratifies and confirms the grant by the said Laurence … and Seth’ (as above), and all the contents thereof and, with licence and consent of all concerned, and after treaty and deliberation between him and the said dean and chapter, unites and appropriates hereby the said church of Slaitburn alias alias (as above) to the said chaplains and chantry of St. Katherine, and grants them licence that on the cession or death or lawful removal of Sir John Mews, the present rector, they may take possession, etc., saving a certain portion (fn. 18) in ready English money for a perpetual vicar to be instituted, which portion he fixes at 10l. in ready English money (fn. 19) to be paid yearly at Michaelmas, Christmas, Lady Day and the Nativity of St. John Baptist; the archbishop further ordaining that within two years the said chaplains shall build at their own expense a competent dwelling (mansum competens) near the said church of Slaitburn’ alias alias (as above) for the habitation of such vicar, etc., that the vicars shall find at their own expense the bread, wine and light for the high altar (fn. 20) and keep in repair the said mansum after it has been once built, etc. The archbishop further ordains and decrees that the chaplains shall present to the archbishop any fit priest as vicar, at times of voidance, for institution, and grants to the said chaplains licence not to appear at yearly synods by reason of the said church, etc., but ordains that they shall pay from its fruits etc. to himself and his successors 6s. 8d. and to the said dean and chapter 3s. 4d., to be paid at Michaelmas, with provision for enforcement of payment by sequestration, etc. of the fruits of the said church of Slaitburn, alias alias (as above), etc., and also shall cause to be distributed amongst the poor parishioners of the said church 3s. 4d. yearly within a week after Lady Day etc. In testimony of all which the said archbishop has caused his seal to be set to these presents together with the subscription of the below-written notary public: dated and done in the major and principal chapel within his manor of Suthwell' on 24 Aug. 1456, indiction 4, in the second year of Calixtus III, in the presence of Master William Malster, licentiate in decrees, then the said archbishop's chancellor, William Radelyff (recte
Radclyff), I.U.D., Thomas Lye, archdeacon of Salop, Thomas Byron’ chaplain, of the dioceses of York and Coventry and Lichfield, witnesses, and published in the form of a public instrument and attested by William Brande, clerk, of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, notary public by apostolic authority, in the year, indiction, pontificate, month, day and place aforesaid, etc., with his approbation of two interlineations and an erasure;
(iii) the letters Univ. sancte matris ecclesie filiis … of Richard dean and the chapter of York, setting forth that they have inspected the letters of William archbishop of York, primate and legate (as above), sealed with his great seal in red wax, which they exemplify, viz.:—
the letters Univ. sancte matris ecclesie filiis
… (as above no. ii, about the gift to the chaplains of St. Katherine's chantry of the advowson of Slaitburn, alias alias (as above, here with the successive spellings and variants ‘Malster,’ ‘Lye,’ ‘Averylle,' ‘Gisbrugh,’ ‘Averylle literate,’ ‘Sir Robert Scotte dean of Newerke’, the complete date of the royal licence, viz. ‘14 Feb. anno 34,' ‘salva certa portione,’ ‘dated and done in the major and principal chapel within his manor of Suth‘welle’ ‘in presence of Master William Malster, licentiate in decrees …, William Radclyff … Thomas Lye … and Thomas Byrom', chaplain,’ ‘with his approbation of one interlineation,’
and approving, ratifying and confirming the archbishop's said letters. In testimony of which the common seal of the said dean Richard and chapter is appended; dated at York in their chapter-house, quo ad consignationem presentium, on 3 Feb. 1456[–7]:
all which foregoing [three] letters the above-named official has inspected in the presence of the
below-written notary public and witnesses and, inasmuch as he has found them in every respect intact and beyond suspicion, he has, as requested, published them and caused them to be copied, subscribed and drawn up in public form by Master Nicholas Parker, notary public below-written, and signed, marked and exemplified with his mark and subscription, (fn. 21)
to which copy he decrees that credence shall be given as to the original letters themselves. In testimony of which he has caused and ordered these his present letters or this present public instrument to be subscribed by the said Master Nicholas Parker, notary public below-written and drawn up as a copy and in public form, and has caused and ordered his seal to be appended to the same; dated and done in the said cathedral church of St. Paul, London, on 21 April 1466, indiction 14, the second year of Paul II, in presence of Thomas Pole and Robert Lyghton', clerks, dwelling at London, witnesses, and attested and published by the said Nicholas Parker, clerk, of the diocese of Norwich, notary public by apostolic and imperial authority, and registrar principal of the court of Canterbury and keeper of the registers of the said court, in the year, indiction etc. above-said, etc., who has caused the foregoing to be written by another on three pieces of parchment sewn together, and has on each joint set his wonted mark, and has subscribed the whole instrument with his own hand and marked it with his wonted mark and name and the seal of the said official; with notification of an interlineation in the first piece and of another in the second.
The pope's present letters end with the usual final clauses Nulli ergo …, and the date as above, and begin:Ad perp. rei mem. Romanus pontifex in suprema statione. (L. Dathus. | cx. Jo. Baptista. N. Tungen. D. de Piscia.Collat. G. Blondus. In the margin: Augusti.) [35 pp.] |